William Roth

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- William George Roth, 75, of Marble Hill died Friday, Oct. 5, 2007, at Southeast Missouri Hospital.

He was born Dec. 22, 1931, at Mascoutah, Ill., son of Philip Nicholas and Selma Mary Walters Roth. He and Barbara Pond were married on July 6, 1957, at Wiener, Ark.

Most of his life was spent near Wiener. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War with an amphibious unit. Following Korea, he went to St. Louis and worked as a cement finisher. He and his wife started a construction company and in 1961 they opened the first of three service stations, working with Phillips Petroleum Co. and later Amoco Oil. Bill was a former president of the Gasoline Dealer Association of Missouri. In 1967 they purchased property in Bollinger County and built Whippoorwill Lake. This was opened to the public in 1972 for camping, fishing and swimming. They retired in 2000.

Bill was a member of St. John Catholic Church in Leopold, Mo., and a 4th-degree Knight of Columbus with Council 5898.

Survivors include his wife; a son, Douglas Roth of Alabama; a granddaughter, Stephanie Fasano of St. Louis; two brothers, John Roth of Libertyville, Mich., and Philip Roth of Manchester, Mo.; a sister, Georgette Scheibel of Belleville, Ill.; a stepsister, Frances Bornhoft of Colorado; a stepbrother, Leo Schwarz of Wiener; and two great-grandsons, Ted and Zach Fasano of St. Louis.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his stepfather, Conrad Schwarz; a sister, Mary Miller; and a stepbrother, Bob Schwarz.

Friends may call from 4 until 8 p.m. Monday at Hutchings Funeral Chapel in Marble Hill. Parish prayers and a Knights of Columbus Rosary will start at 7 p.m.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Tuesday at St. John Church in Leopold, Mo., with the Rev. Bill Huggins officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.